September 22, 2013

I do often wear ponytails, and me and the girls love them in our home because they are cute at any age. The hardest part finding ways to spice up the hairstyle so that it is not just a “plain old” floppy ponytail!

Brooklyn and I thought about this during the week and decided to show you all how to cutify a high ponytail using a fluffy fishtail braid. If you know how to back comb hair, and create a fishtail braid, then this hairstyle will be super easy for you to do!

I started Brooklyn off with a Single Frenchback into a hair-wrapped high pony. From there, the rest is in the video further below…

Although I show you how to do this on Brooklyn’s hair, I have worn it twice this past week.

The perfect DIY aspect of this hairstyle is that the fishtail starts about 6-8 inches from the top of the ponytail, making it easier for you to swing the hair over your shoulder and fishtail from the front!

Enjoy!

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We want to see your re-created photos of this hairstyle! Be sure to tag your own photo with #CGHFluffyFishtail on Instagram this week, and you just may find yours reposted to our nearly 400,000 followers there!

Begin by styling hair into a high ponytail {you can do a pompadour in front, or even a single Frenchback, to add some extra flair to the hairstyle}…

Take a small section of hair and wrap the strand around the elastic, to hide it, and secure with a bobby pin…

Next, take a rat-tail comb and back comb the top half of the hair in the ponytail. You do this by lifting layer by layer, and back combing the hair down to the roots. Do this for the top half of the ponytail only {leave the underside of the ponytail as is}…

Now, using a smoothing brush, gently brush the surface hair, and any rough spots from the teasing, so that they top layer of the ponytail is smooth and straight…

For the braid, go about 6-8 inches down the ponytail and begin a regular fishtail braid….

Continue the fishtail braid until you are within a few inches of the ends of your hair, and secure with a small elastic.

Go back and gently loosen the braid for a more full look, and especially tug up the surface hair on the top section of the ponytail {this will further add to the volume you created with the back combing in Step #4}…

Add any hairspray or accessories desired.

Please feel free to leave me a comment below letting us know what you think of this cute fishtail braid! As always, if you loved this hairstyle, please feel free to share it!

Happy Hairdoing!

This week Brooklyn uploaded a super cute “Get Ready with Me” video on YouTube. If you would like to see it, please click below…

September 01, 2013

Want to become CGH braid certified??? Simply tag your own photo of this braid with #CGHBoxFishtail on Instagram! Don’t forget that you can follow us on Instagram, too!

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I do get a ton of emails every day, and although it is impossible to respond to them all… I want you to know that I read each and every one!

Just a few weeks ago, a fan, Kendra from Canada, submitted a hairstyle photo of her own creation and it BLEW my mind!

We think this braided hairstyle will be a big hit with our fans, because it is so unique and you can do so much with it! We wanted to be sure to credit Kendra here!

Yes, this is a fishtail braid… however it is a fishtail braid on FOUR sides of the ponytail!

The front and back of the braid have a regular fishtail pattern, while the right and left sides have a reverse fishtail pattern! {Watch the braid closely when I spin Brooklyn around in the chair at the end to see the cool effect!}

To recreate this look, you combine alternating double stitches of a fishtail braid with a reverse fishtail. The step-by-step directions are below.

You can also use this Box Fishtail braid hairstyle in a beautiful updo by simply twisting the braid up into itself. This will create a magnificent-looking bun that your friends will be seriously fawning over!

The ponytail version of this braid is perfect for sports, cheer, or every day wearing. The bun version of this hairstyle would be perfect for ballet, a wedding, Homecoming, Prom, or any other occasion!

You’ll LOVE this braid hairstyle as you receive compliments all day long!

Skill Level: Medium {only because it is time consuming and your arms get tired!}

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Begin by brushing the hair and securing it into a high ponytail with a hair band…

Now, divide the ponytail into two large strands…

Take a small piece of hair from the outside-left edge of the left strand, cross it over that strand and add it to the inside of the right strand…

Next, take a small piece of hair from the outside-right edge of the right strand, cross it over the that strand and add it to the inside of the left strand {this completes the first full stitch of a regular fishtail braid}…

Repeat Steps #3 & 4 to create a second complete stitch of a fishtail braid…

Now, take a small piece of hair from the outside-left edge of the left strand, cross it under the that strand, and add it to the inside of the right section…

Take a small piece of hair from the outside-right edge of the right strand, cross it under that strand, and add it to the inside of the left section {you have just created one complete stitch of a reverse fishtail braid}…

Repeat Steps #6 & 7 to create a second complete stitch of a reverse fishtail braid. {Please make sure that when you add the pieces to the middle, that they stay in the middle. You do not want these pieces migrating to the outside and being used too soon or the fishtail pattern will not look correct.}

Repeat Steps #3-8 by creating alternating two regular fishtail stitches, and then two reverse fishtail stitches, over and over again until you run out of hair…

When you reach the end of the braid, secure the hair ends with an elastic.

You may choose to wrap a small strand of hair around the elastic to hide it, by using a bobby pin.

{Optional: Gently twist the braid until it wraps around itself to create a very beautiful and intriguing braided bun.}

Add hairspray and accessories as needed.

Please feel free to leave me a comment below letting us know what you think of this new hairstyle! As always, if you loved this hairstyle, please feel free to share it!

Happy Hairdoing!

Also, this week my daughter Bailey uploaded a Football Nail Art tutorial in honor of the American football season kickoff! I thought she did a fabulous job, and is getting to be a natural in front of the camera! What do you think?

May 05, 2013

Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to see BrooklynAndBailey‘s recap of the 2013 Radio Disney Music Awards, and enter their first giveaway… OPI Minnie “Minis” nail polish!

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I know that Fishtail Braids are all the rage these days, especially any that are variations of the original fishtail braid.

Recently, we have found photos on Pinterest of this cute Reverse Fishtail hairstyle, but we did not know how to recreate one. {I also just found out that Princess Hairstyles has a good tutorial on a French version of this braid.}

If you love this photo, please “Pin” it!

As you know, the stitches on a standard Fishtail Braid have a distinct “v” herringbone pattern.

Well, a Reverse {or Inverse} Fishtail Braid has an inverted “^” pattern which is very different than what you see around.

I spent a few hours a week or so ago perfecting this hairstyle on my mannequin head, and as I completed the first five stitches or so, it seemed like I was doing something wrong! Just as I figured on giving up, all of the sudden… the braid popped out perfectly! A beautiful inverse herringbone pattern!

I then recreated it on CGH#3 that day, and had her go show it to Bailey, her older sister. Bailey quickly asked… “How did you do that? I want to learn it!” So, last week, we were pretty much wearing reverse fishtail braids every day!

Begin by combing all the hair into a high ponytail or desired location of the fishtail and secure with a hair band {I sprayed the hair with water first, to make the ponytail clean and crisp}…

Separate the ponytail into two equal sections…

Take a small sliver of hair from the outside edge of the right section, and take it behind the rest of that same section and combine it into the inside edge of the left section {in a regular fishtail braid, you would go over the section of hair, and not under}…

Now take a small sliver of hair from the outside edge of the left section, and take it behind the rest of that section, and combine it into the inside edge of the right section {simply the opposite of Step #3}…

Continue Steps 3 & 4 over and over again until you run out of hair…

When you get to the end of your braid, secure it with a hair elastic.

You may tug on the edges of the braid to soften the fishtail, and create a more romantic look, if desired.

Add any desired hair accessory {such as a bow, ribbon or clip} to finish it off.

If you liked this, you may very well love our other Fishtail Braid tutorials!

Please feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think, and as always… feel free to share!

Happy Hairdoing!

* Note from Mindy: Google Reader will be shutting down on July 1st, so if you want to follow our blog… you can do so at BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader for women!

April 21, 2013

This is not a new hairstyle by any means, and it can be seen all over Pinterest, but we wanted to show you how we create it in our household!

We were simply feeling the urge to help bring out the “Spring” feeling by filming this tutorial! It definitely helped!

This fishtail braid with blended yarn highlights is perfect for cheerleaders and dancers, but also great for girls during Spirit Week {using school colors} or Crazy Hair Day! My twins wore this out last week and had lots of people intrigued and taking photos!

Now, you all know that I am not a fan of highlights or permanent coloring in my young girls’ hair.

What I love about our Chalk Highlights tutorial and this Yarn Extension Braid, is that there are ways to get a cute color accents in the hair without a long-term commitment and potential chemical damage!

Begin by sectioning off the top part of the hair and securing with a rubber band to keep it out of the way, leaving the rest of the hair down…

Now, take a yarn strand and tie it onto the base of a sectioned strand of hanging hair {you do this by placing the yarn perpendicular behind the hair and at the base, and tying a simple square knot in the yarn around the hair. To keep the knot from slipping, you can teaze the hair a little below the knot}…

Next, grab another piece of yarn {different color} and tie it on the next strand of hair {try to place different colors of yarn next to each other, so their is a variety}…

Once you have placed all your yarn strands {we used about 13 strands}. drop the remaining top hair down over the top to hide the knots…

Now, sweep all hair over one shoulder, gather it, and separate it into two sections…

Begin a regular Fishtail Braid by taking one outside tiny piece of hair, cross it over and into the other section of hair. Be sure to include a yarn strand in each section…

Now repeat on the other side.

Repeat Steps #6 and #7 all the way down {remember, try to get a strand or two of yarn in each piece you cross over}…

Once you have completed your fishtail braid, secure it with a hair elastic. You can also take some of the extra length of the yarn and wrap it around the elastic to hide it. We show you how to do this in the video…

Lastly, go back and tug/pop out any hidden strands of yarn so that you can see them better. You can also pancake the fishtail a little to broaden the braid, soften the look, and help the colors show through.

Prepare for compliments!

Please feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think, and as always… feel free to share!

Happy Hairdoing!

* Note from Mindy: Google Reader will be shutting down on July 1st, so if you want to follow our blog… you can do so at BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader for women!

February 17, 2013

Today’s video features CGH#1 filming her very first tutorial!

If you are like me and my girls, you love fishtail braids… but fishtails can take “soooo looooong” to style! We have shown you before how to create fake fishtail braids, but this technique is so easy and super fast!

My twins love this style because it’s so fast and easy, but looks so much like a fishtail that sometimes people cannot even tell a difference!

CGH #1 wanted to show all of you this braid because it is a morning go-to style when you are in a hurry because it can be done in “2 minutes or less”!

Items Needed: Brush, 1 small hair elastic, hairspray {if desired}.

Time Requirement: 1-2 minutes

Skill Level: Very Easy

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Begin by sweeping the hair over to one side and over the shoulder {your hair can be curly or straight to begin with… either one looks great}…

Take you thumb and forefinger and push them through the back of your hair to the front of the hair…

Then, using those two fingers… grab the bottom of the ponytail and flip it through the hole created by your fingers…

Make sure and hold the hair securely after the first flip, so that the twist generated by the flip does not unravel {This one can easily come undone if you don’t hold it tight. Also, don’t worry if the flip is down away from your head a bit}…

If you feel that the flip is down too low simply reinsert your thumb and forefinger again through the hair {make sure you don’t go through the exact same spot!} and pull the bottom of the ponytail through once more {you want the new flip to be slightly off from the original one}…

Give the hair a slight tug downward to help straighten out any excess bumps or thickness in flips {you will notice that once you have created a flip or two, your hair will likely hold its shape and often won’t even come undone if you let go}…

Continue down the ponytail, adding as many flips as you wish by using the same method as above. {Please make sure each time you are instering your fingers through the ponytail, that you do so in a slightly different spot. This help the hair hold, and creates the fishtail braid-like look.

When you run out of hair, secure the the bottom with an elastic.

Feel free to loosen any pieces or tug on the edges of the fishtail to create a messier more romantic look.

Also, we present to you our four favorite names for our new family puppy… from the over 16,000 fan suggestions you left in our last video. Our four favorites are Chewy {from Chewbacca in Star Wars}, Thor {because this little guy is so tough}, Mousse {play on words for a tough Moose and the mousse foam used in hair, and Braidy {play on words for Brady, the boy’s name, and “Braid”y, since we are huge fans of braids!

For the next week, are allowing our fans to vote for their favorite from among those four names, and we will announce the new puppy’s name in our next video! Be sure to comment on YouTube below the video with your vote!

Enjoy!

If you liked this hairstyle, please do feel free to share! Happy Hairdoing!

* Note from Mindy: Don’t forget to follow us on BlogLovin, a new easy-to-use blog reader!

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What do you get when you cross 34 yrs of living, 14 yrs of marriage, one HOT husband, five adorable daughters, one handsome son, and tons of great family and friends? Pretty much the sum total of who I am!!